Garnett focused, ready for 17th NBA season

Jim Fenton

Friday

Dec 23, 2011 at 12:01 AMDec 23, 2011 at 11:05 PM

The 35-year-old Celtics forward remains as intense as ever as he prepares for a fifth year in Boston.

The grueling portion of Celtics’ practice had just ended and players were scattering to shoot free throws before hitting the showers. In one corner of the team’s training facility, though, some rather intense tutoring was taking place, with a 16-year veteran giving lessons to a pair of rookies on Thursday afternoon.

Class was in session with Kevin Garnett running the show and forward JaJuan Johnson and center Greg Stiemsma serving as the pupils, learning about the ins and outs of playing the pick-and-roll defense.

Johnson, who was just 6 years old when Garnett entered the NBA in 1995, and Stiemsma, who was only 10, have been getting helpful hints from the future Hall of Famer the past two weeks.

“He’s a fun guy to play with,’’ said Stiemsma, an undrafted free agent whose college career at Wisconsin ended in 2008. “He’s been in the league for a long time. He knows almost every little trick there is and he’s been more than willing to help vocally, on and off the court.

“I’ve learned a lot in my short amount of time here. I’m just hoping to stick around as long as I can and keep learning from him, just keep absorbing as much information as I can.’’

With the 17th season of his career set to begin on Sunday afternoon in New York against the Knicks, Garnett is armed with his usual high intensity and focus.

At the age of 35, with free agency looming next July, Garnett has an uncertain future after this season – either he retires, re-signs with the Celtics or moves on to another team.

In his fifth season with the Celtics, a team he helped win a championship in 2008, Garnett is vowing to make the most of it.

At first, when asked about this year possibly being a farewell tour, Garnett responded, “Next question.’’

Later on, he explained that inquiries about his future have already been piling up and that he just wants to enjoy this 66-game season.

“Not to cut your question off, but I’ve been getting that question throughout the whole year,’’ Garnett told a reporter. “I’m going to add on to it. I don’t like anticipating the future because things are not set in stone. You don’t know. I’m not a person to go back on my word or none of that, so I don’t know.

“No disrespect to your question, but I’ve been getting it a lot. And I’m not going to condone it. I’m not even going to give it any air. Because whatever this year presents itself to be, it’ll be just that. And then next year, everybody will come back and make a decision.

“So I’m cherishing it a lot more not knowing what the future is. I’m embracing the younger guys a little more, younger guys that want to work, younger guys who want to embrace our culture and what we’re doing here. That’s pretty much it.’’

He shows Johnson, a first-round pick out of Purdue, and Stiemsma how things should be done, talking to them in the firm tone that a teacher with plenty of experience would use.

“A lot of the stuff I’m showing some of the young guys is stuff I had trouble with when I was younger,’’ said Garnett. “(It’s) things I see during practice that can help a young guy or help anybody. And vice versa.

“You’re never too old to learn something. I learn that every day. I just try to be, if not a teacher, an influence to these young guys.’’

Garnett, who averaged 14.9 points and 8.9 rebounds in 71 games last season, will be looked to for more scoring as the Celtics try to bolster their offense this year.

Coach Doc Rivers has even suggested that Garnett will be getting minutes at center in a frontcourt rotation that will include Jermaine O’Neal and newcomers Brandon Bass and Chris Wilcox.

“He’s looked good,’’ said Rivers. “The first couple of days, he looked out of sync a little bit. But now, he looks great. His jumper looks good again. He’s aggressive. I like the fact that he looks more aggressive offensively, which we need him to be. He needs to score more for us this year.’’

More production from Garnett will be needed if the Celtics are going to make one last run at a title in this era.

“I’ve got one more goal,’’ said Garnett. “I’ve got one more goal. One more goal since I’ve been here that I’m trying to accomplish with everybody else. I think it falls in line with everybody else’s goal. I don’t think I got to tell you want that is.’’

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